Aussie's working in the UK
 

Hey Guys/Gals,

Has anyone had experience with working in the UK as a pilot without holding an EU passport or citizenship? Possibly under a spouse visa or sponsorship? I am familiar with the lengthy process involved with the EASA conversion.

Any guidance here would be appreciated!

Safe Skies

I have looked into this and being on a spouse visa makes it incredibly difficult. The spouse visa has a lot of restrictions and getting an air side pass for a non EU passport holder is painful. Last time I checked 5 years address history in an EU country was required otherwise mountains of documents need to be found to get one issued.

Have lived in the UK for the past 3 years continuously (required for pre-employment checks)Just found this and the was for a baggage handler job.

Hi Pilotchute, thanks for the reply.

It seems a near impossible task! My partner is shifting back for specialty training in the NHS and it seems heading over there to follow her is career suicide, which I obviously won't do! It appears just about anywhere else in the world I could work as a pilot, other than the UK. Very frustrating! I won't be going over there to work in a bar for 5 years until I get Indefinite Leave to Remain thats for sure!:ugh:

Your partner has to live in the UK for 6 months before you can join her too. And she has to earn more than £18000 pounds a year etc etc.

Looks like we Brits will need to work hard at forging some meaningful new links with the "Old Commonwealth" post brexit. Assuming we would like some friends and trading partners.

I went to the UK on a Marriage Visa and ended up working for a European Legacy Carrier using that Visa, I then got permanent residence after 5 years and an UK passport after 10 years. I didn't find any restrictions for me on those Visa's except for the fact when reentering the UK I had to line up with the plebs at immigration and couldn't just go through the crew line.

The rules have changed a lot in the last few years.

Hey All,

Thank you again for the responses. From all the research I have done, it does appear to be near impossible! I will continue to attempt to contact some of the carriers over there for a straight answer. If not, I'll stay in Sunny Aus I guess! :rolleyes:

Safe Skies

I doubt you'll get sponsorship unless you have something very special to bring to the party. Your best bet is to go the spousal visa route. However, to get employed you'll need to hold a visa with multiple entry permits. I was lucky, I had dual citizenship, Checkboard had a 4 year ancestral visa which he then extended for a year to qualify to get permanent residency & citizenship. He didn't need indefinite leave to remain to get employed.

Email Boris Johnson explaining your situation and asking for assistance. email.number10.gov.uk/ It is that simple. Good luck. Let us know how you go.

If you're with QF or Virgin I would be very reluctant to give that up as with 10 000 hours I'm assuming you're well into your 30s and past the point where you want to start at the bottom of the seniority list again with another legacy airline. Where you to go and come back relatively soon then you're looking at starting at the bottom again IF you get reemployed. A low cost in the UK might be your best option as you would probably get a quick upgrade with your experience level but then you will probably have to stay there unless you fancy China or the Middle East for an airline career. Returning home later on as a Captain could give you a shot at Alliance or Cobham as a direct entry skipper but obviously on far worse terms than you'd have if you upgraded with your current employer.

Unfortunately our profession doesn't favour mobility between employers.

Ever considered ANA etc and trying for LWOP?

Right now you are stuffed I think - however the UK Govt are planning to change all the rules because of BREXIT - they are moving to "an Australian type points based system" no-one has a clue what that means but it will probably come in in the next 12 months as it's a high priority with their supporters

Surprised you have no British connection - but do you have a Grandparent who was born in Ireland? If so you can go through the (lengthy) process of getting an Irish passport which will allow you to work in the UK without any problems.

Perhaps our "Ozmates" will have to take an English test such as we Brits had to do in order to work there....